Mother's Day

I've so enjoyed seeing everyones post on Mother's Day! So many of you have expressed great appreciation for the fabulous mothers in your lives... I love it! Unfortunately, it's takes becoming a mother to really recognize the great sacrifices our mothers have made.
I wanted to post something before Sunday, but life just got busy. As usual my kids and husband tried to make the day special, and yes, they succeeded. I got breakfast in bed and I think Brett did enough dishes to last him for a month! I worked on my RS lesson, Gifts of the Spirit, most of the morning and felt pretty confident and excited to teach until the Bishop walked in to listen.. ha, ha. Actually, he didn't throw me off my game too much. I think it went well enough, I don't think he's ready to put me in Cub Scouts, yet:)
This morning as I was cleaning my kitchen I came across a great quote my sister, Amberlee, had given me about my Grandmother Mary Musser Wright. My father was her 15th and final child, and all though I didn't know her for long, I was five when she died, she lived a life of unwavering faith and dedication to her family and the gospel. I have read her journal many times and I'm always moved by her testimony, profound wisdom, and the way she endured many of life's challenges. My Mom once said she was like a "spiritual healer," not in a blasphemous way, but everyone would go to her for their troubles, and she would listen, and when it was over, life was better! I would like to be more like that to my friends and family... often times we are to "busy" to really take time to listen.
Coincidentally, I was searching the web for a pic I could post with the quote and I stumbled across a second cousin's blog, Ann, and she had put this beautiful collage together. Thank you for allowing me to use it Ana!

My Grandmother Mary Hill Musser Wright
Great Grandmother Mary Caroline Hill Musser
2nd Great Grandmother Mary Caroline Sorensen Hill

"Father, I ask thee to help me teach thy charges, that my sons may learn the finer things in life from day to day; so that if it must be they will have to travel far from the home hearthstone into the wide and uncertain world, they will possess the strength and wisdom to choose wisely their course; that they may be leaders of men because of their childhood teachings. And may I, myself, develop those qualities that shall fully equip me to administer nourishment to the spirits of these sons as I have fed their bodies while in babyhood; that, growing into manhood they may be clean, strong, and courageous in the great battle of life; and above all, that they may have deeply bedded in their souls a faith in God that shall be eternal."

~Mary Musser Wright

So even though this is a bit delayed, THANK YOU to my Grandma Wright and to the fabulous Mom and Mother-Law I have been so greatly blessed with in my life, I love you!

Raise the Roof... She's back! I love this gal...

Patrona

( sorry, inside joke, only few will get)

Oh, and I love these gals too! Cecer's and Monmon's! O.K. that would be Cecily and Armanie, two very cute nieces of mine, and that hotty in the middle would be Tex, the Patrona's adoring, intelligent, well-behaved, well balanced son!

Sorry I stole your pic, Chal, it was too cute to pass up!

I love my fam:)

A Heart Like His... try this!

My mother-in-law, Carole, and an amazing women she is, shared this idea... The Hawthorn Effect, at our Women's Conference on Saturday. I had read this book, A Heart Like His, about a year ago and found the authors thought's and ideas simple, genuine, and realistic... not one of those "Church Books" that leave you feeling riddled with guilt and despair. I loved it! In this book, Sis. Pierce shares the concept of the Hawthorn Effect and how it is possible for us in a simple way to change negative behavior in ourselves. After Carole challenged all the women in our stake to give it a try, I thought surely I could do it. So here it goes... I've got my pocket all ready full of pennies, and since it's Noelle's Birthday today, it shouldn't be too hard to offer a lot of "Positive Language" to her and my other children. I'm really excited to do this... I guess it's by small and simple things that great things come to pass! I'm going to try it for the whole week!

Read below:

THE HAWTHORNE EFFECT

The “Hawthorne Effect” is a term used to describe the tendency of subjects in experiments to increase sought-after behavior or decrease negative behavior, simply because they are being studied. It was first observed among the employees at the Hawthorne Plant who were being studied by researchers from Harvard Business School. The researchers were studying worker productivity. But they encountered a problem. When the researchers gave attention to the employees, the workers’ productivity didn’t remain static, it increased. This change in productivity was produced simply by an awareness that they were being studied, and it skewed the study.
Obviously, the Hawthorne Effect drives researchers crazy, but for those who wish to change behavior it is quite encouraging. It means that all I have to do to increase the frequency of a desired behavior, or decrease the frequency of a negative behavior is to notice it! Just my awareness of it will change the results……
For instance, if a mother is concerned about how often she speaks in habitually negative language to her children, she can decide to count all the negative statements she makes. Without any apparent self-discipline, as she becomes aware of how many times a day she responds to a child negatively, she will instinctively improve. Being aware enough to count and report our experiences is a dynamic and positive process.
[One method of doing this is to] fill one pocket with pennies at the beginning of the day. Each time [a mother] responds with positive language to her children rather than negative language, she takes one penny and transfers it to the other pocket. At the end of the day, she writes down the number of pennies in the second pocket. I have done this to self-monitor all sorts of behaviors, and the Hawthorne Effect always holds true. As I continue to count and record, the positive behaviors increase and the negative behaviors decrease.

(Virginia Pearce, A Heart Like His, pg. 88-91)

If all else fails, go for Carns!

I was asked to create some small centerpieces for a baby shower last weekend and thought, Oh, that's easy... small centerpiece with white flowers, no problem. Unfortunately, white flowers of my liking were not to be found in Prescott. AHHHH So stressing out at the last minute I begged the Costco lady to let me into the cooler. Lucky me there were four bunches of white carns waiting to made into something just lovely. Well "lovely" might not have been my initial response to carns ( I know, I know SKL, you wouldn't even consider a carn!) Unable to find any greens I resorted to limes and some lily grass and some other filler, both from bushes in my yard. I thought the final arrangement was quite lovely~

This is how I wrapped the lily grass together.

Some might wonder what my children do while I work on a project. I thought these photos illustrated perfectly how children can learn to adapt and make things happen on their own. We mother's can't do everything for them! This morning, Taft was doing his usually morning graze and kept insisting on a snack. I told him to go make himself some lunch, and that's exactly what he did! Not just something for himself, but a "delicious" mustard sandwich for all of us. I know, disgusting, but he and Camille love em'!

I love this kid!!!!!

I found this chair at Habitat for $10 and knew instantly that it had great potential. Despite it smelling like it came out of the Riv in Vegas, it had good bones and just needed a makeover. Unable to choose a fabric, Adrienne urged me to try something funky like this Amy Butler pattern. This is probably my all time favorite fabric of Amy's and thought my style could use some "funk." I'm not sure about the pleated skirt... I always tend to over embellish, but I really like the femininity of the skirt... The skirt also hides the chair's ghastly brass legs. It would be a little bit of work, but I could take the skirt off. Let me know what you think!
I've decided I'm going to put it in the corner of my kitchen as a time out chair. Little do my children know how fortunate they are to experience their punishment in such a sassy chair:)

Impossibly Good!

So last night I was off to Target for some "Mom time," ( thanks to recent GC comments by Elder Ballard) and as I aimlessly strolled around the store I stumbled upon these "fruit crisps". I was in the mood for a treat, but not something that would blow a good day of exercising and healthy eating. So since the chips were 2 for 5 I thought I'd give them a try. Of course the chips were packaged to look organic and super healthy, and as I read the calorie content they surely would be better than say, a bag of Cheetos. Anyway, on my way home I broke open a bag and what a delight! They were like fruit... like a chip... like DELICIOUS... and very satisfying. I ate the 14 chips allotted for the 140 calories and 4 grams of fat and was almost too full :) to finish the final fourteenth. I compared them to the Cheetos I had at home and for the same serving Cheetos had 160 calories and 10! grams of fat. So I've concluded that not only were the berry crisps surprisingly yummy, but more satisfying and healthier than some other form of junk food!
I think on my next road trip to the Motherland I'll grab me a DC and bag of these baked fruit crisps and settle in for a nice drive! Give em' a try and let me know what you think... I think there are about 5-6 different varieties.